Twitter Drags Garth Brooks, Dennis Quaid Over Trump Administration Ad Recruitment
Matt Campbell/AFP, Getty Images
On Friday it was revealed that the Trump administration is working on an “ad blitz” over the president’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a big budget and some celebrity participation.
Politico reported that the health department is dropping as much as $300 million on their “defeat despair” campaign, and have been recruiting or attempting to recruit a number of recognizable names. Among them: Dennis Quaid, CeCe Winans, Dr. Oz, and even Garth Brooks.
The campaign will “lean heavily on video interviews between administration officials and celebrities,” Politico reported. The news sparked a tidal wave of burns on the named celebrities, resulting in both Dennis Quaid and Garth Brooks becoming trending topics.
Despite the tweets bashing Brooks as a Trump fan, the report only said that HHS had “pursued” the country legend. And gospel star CeCe Winans said that her contribution, a conversation with Surgeon General Jerome Adams, should not be construed as political.
Still, Twitter lit the celebs on fire over the public service messages, with most of the blue checks who weighed in treating the as-yet-unseen ads as being campaign messages.
What were Dennis Quaid, @garthbrooks and others told they were participating in? Surely they didn’t agree to partake in what is very clearly Pro-Trump propaganda. Will they condemn this illegal misuse of tax payer dollars? No network should agree to run these ads pre-election. https://t.co/FbK02gUuJh
— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) September 26, 2020
The burns were copious.
The Trump campaign took 300 million to get people like Dennis Quaid and Garth Brooks to do commercials.
So what’s going on the $299,999,765.78 left over?
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 26, 2020
Garth Brooks is a Trumper?
Did NOT think that’s what he meant by “low places”.
— Deren Ney (@DerenNey) September 26, 2020
Adding Dennis Quaid’s work to the pile of Blu-rays that need to be tossed out, along with the films of Jon Voight and James Woods. I never owned any Scott Baio movies.
— Jon Donahue (@JonDonahue) September 26, 2020
Trump spent $300M to get Dennis Quaid?
I’m pretty sure I can spend $75 to get a shoutout from him on Cameo. https://t.co/2KqTp0zYOF
— Erick Sanchez ? (@erickmsanchez) September 26, 2020
Trump’s response to this: “Send in Dennis Quaid!” https://t.co/hFqMqljh2V
— Jesse Ferguson (@JesseFFerguson) September 26, 2020
Ask anyone in Hollywood: Dennis Quaid will eat a porcupine on television for money. I wish he would he would stick to those f awful esurance commercials.
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) September 26, 2020
I’m still lost why the GOP spent 300 million to get Dennis Quaid and Garth Brooks to do commercials when they could have gotten Randy Quaid, James Woods, and Toby Keith for 3 Bud Light tall boys, two packs of smokes, and a Penthouse magazine.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 26, 2020
Still, some were quick to point out that Garth Brooks hadn’t been reported to have actually signed on to anything.
I read that Politico article that’s made Garth Brooks trend, and it literally says the Trump White House *pursued* Garth Brooks. It says nothing about Brooks confirming acceptance of the invite. Just that they reached out to him, and that’s all that’s known. pic.twitter.com/dtcN7S9XVq
— Charlotte Clymer ?️? (@cmclymer) September 26, 2020
#DennisQuaid is on record exposing his idiocy. #GarthBrooks on the other hand was approached to do this absurd propaganda & he turned it down the same as any other decent celeb would do & 4 some ungodly reason is being dragged into this. Always best to check facts 1st. https://t.co/8cZzuFzXTo
— Nancy Lee Grahn (@NancyLeeGrahn) September 26, 2020
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